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My disc won't boot - Prohibited sign

Hello,

I just received my new Macbook Pro Retina 13" and started to transfer all my files from my previous Macbook Air.

Then after all files have been transfered, I decided to reinstall all and do a clean install instead of transfering all my files.

I had a Maverick install version that I installed on a USB drive, but when I want to start the computer with this USB drive (holding the Option key at the startup) I get the Prohibited sign preventing me from booting from this drive.

I tried with a full backup of my Macbook Air (USB 3.0 bootable drive, Mac OS X 10.9 Maverick done with Carbon Copy Cloner, tested and working fine with my Macbook Air) and also get the Prohibited sign....

So what can I do know to do a clean install of Maverick or just simply boot the Macbook Pro???

Any help appreciated.

Thanks much in advance

Eric

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013), OS X Mavericks (10.9)

Posted on Oct 28, 2013 8:39 PM

24 replies

invsbls

Level 1

0 points

Dec 17, 2013 7:02 AM in response to Eric Suberville

you did it on you system disk?

Dec 17, 2013 7:23 AM in response to Eric Suberville

If it's booting this way, more than likely it's having an issue "seeing" the HD. You need to isolate it down to software or hardware. I wouldnt worry too much about creating an external bootable disk. Follow the isolation steps outlined in TS2570 to trim the fat on the problem to find the root cause. It's for an older OS but the only thing that will be different for you is you wont boot to Install Disc. You'll need to boot to the Recovery Partition by holding Command + R until you see either a screen asking you to choose the language or Mac OS X Utilities. This is where you can perform Disk Utilities and Re-install the OS. If you boot to this mode, don't be surprised if it needs to download the Recovery Partition from Apple.

Jaffer

Level 1

0 points

Dec 18, 2013 1:16 AM in response to porter009

So I finally found this discussion. It's maddening the issues i have been having for the last 5 days.

So brand new MBP 15 inch, deleted the entire os, just got internet recovery mode. Cant seem to get the disk to boot up from OS x 10.9.1. Have tried to 'restore' from disk utilities even and still nothing. Always get that stupid grey no permission sign. Wth?

Dec 21, 2013 11:31 PM in response to Eric Suberville

how did you go to the address you mentioned (:System/Library/Coreservices) while you didn't have any os installed on your macbook pro? dude please help me, I just have the same exact problem as yours

Dec 21, 2013 11:54 PM in response to Eric Suberville

how could you remove the file systemsupport.plist from your mbp so that you could boot?

invsbls

Level 1

0 points

Dec 22, 2013 9:05 PM in response to invsbls

I'm try it in 3 different ways

- on working system - insert usb drive and start install from usb

- try reboot system from usb with startable OS Mavericks setup

- try reboot in recovery mode "by holding Command + R"

in all case OS Mavericks setup won't start from usb, in real setup start, but stop exactly after it and I got prohibited sign.

After all I'm start recovery mode, perform Disk Utilities - made new disk partition and download the OS Mavericks setup from Apple

but, still don't understand why I have prohibited sign when try start up setup from usb?

Jan 2, 2014 1:23 PM in response to marweb

Don't understand how removing file from your running image can fix the issue but I think Martin is on the good track : can't find PlatformSupport.plist on the usb installer (created from an 10.9 September image I kept after upgrading my previous mbp 2008 (booting the usb perfectly fine) but nothing is matching my brand new rmbp 13,1 UUID starting with "34134A24" in InstallableMachines.plist inside InstallESD.dmg :

<string>Mac-742912EFDBEE19B3</string>

Strange this is still not there on latest 10.9.1 download you guys have made, .. this might be an error unless it is done on purpose by Apple to avoid hack. My recovery partition is working right but I had to fly naked for my triple boot installation on my xmas new precious ;-)

Jan 3, 2014 1:01 AM in response to Philippe M.

Must be the higher resolution of the retina display but I can see it now 😊

I could find the PlatformSupport.plist in the usb installer (it is inside hidden BaseSystem.dmg itself in InstallESD.dmg itself inside Install OS X OS X Mavericks application) and it does indeed miss the MacBook11,3 explaining why it refuses to boot on my machine and works perfectly well on my older mbp.

How did you guy modify or delete it ?

hdiutil: attach failed - Read-only file system

Thanks, Philippe.

LewInVT

Level 1

9 points

Jan 3, 2014 1:44 PM in response to Eric Suberville

I haven't read all the replies to the original question in detail, but I did have the same problem and solved it.

First, late 2013 MacBook Pros with retina displays will not run the Mac App Store version of Marericks. The only versions that will run are the one that came on the new computer or downloaded via the reinstall OSX utility when the computer is booted into the repair partition.

I have created a Mavericks thumb drive that will boot my late 2013 MacBook Pro with retina dispaly by following the instructions in the two articles linked below:

http://tinyurl.com/kd29urj

http://tinyurl.com/mcy3zws

Good luck!

Lew

My disc won't boot - Prohibited sign